1. Field of the invention
The invention relates to a Truck Driver's Recording System and Apparatus, and in particular to a recording system booklet having multiple separable recordable sheets, a wrap-around cover, heavy board backing for rigidity, and advertising space on both sides of the cover, and on inner sheets.
2. Discussion of the Technical Problems
Professional truck drivers are required by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration under the provisions of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Parts 390 to 399 to maintain a written record of their duty status and vehicle inspections. The required record for each day of duty must include a complete 24-hour log including time spent off-duty and the activity at the time such as sleeping or driving. The driver's required daily vehicle inspection must indicate that certain vehicle components including brakes, horns, lights, steering, and so on have been inspected daily for defects.
Many drivers have an additional need to record their expenses for tax purposes and/or for reimbursement by their employers. The personal expense records include the cost of meals, the cost of fuel and other maintenance expenses, the cost of telephone calls, lodging, and any other miscellaneous expenses.
Since the driver is required to provide a daily log of his hours as well as the daily inspection for defects, a number of prior art log books have been developed which provide for space to record the required information. Usually those log books are soft-bound sheets which contain a place to record the duty status for every 24 hours as well as space to record the daily vehicle inspection. In order to provide necessary copies, the prior art log books utilize carbon paper inserted between multiple printed pages so that a single impression would create one or more copies.
Although the driver is only required to keep a record of daily duty status as well as a daily vehicle inspection report, it would be highly convenient to also keep a record of personal expenses of the driver in the same location as the required records. The driver can, by filling out a complete form every day, insure that he has complied with the regulations of the Department of Transportation as well as provide a contemporaneous recording of expenses for the reporting of income tax and/or for reimbursement from his employer. It would also be convenient if the Driver's Record of Duty Status and the Driver's Daily Vehicle Inspection Report could be separated from the Driver's Personal Expenses by simply separating those reports after they have been recorded. Further to enhance the convenience of the recording requirements of the professional truck driver, such a recording system should include a means by which at least two copies can be made from a single impression made by the driver for each day.
While the above conveniences should be provided in a system for recording the necessary information of professional truck drivers while they are engaged in their occupation, it would also be convenient that such a recording system could be provided to a driver at no cost. In order to provide such a no-cost recording system, the apparatus used for recording should be provided with space for advertising. Advertising space should be in a convenient yet readily noticeable position on the apparatus. If such advertising space were made available, then the cost of producing and distributing the truck driver's recording system could be borne by the advertisers and not the drivers.
No known examples of recording systems or apparatus for professional truck drivers to record their duty status and daily vehicle inspection report in a convenient, multiple-page recording along with space for recording the driver's expenses have been discovered. Furthermore, no system is known that provides such a driver's log with space for advertising so that the system is provided to drivers free of charge.
Accordingly, a need exists for a Truck Driver's Recording System and Apparatus that would provide a convenient multiple-copy, easy-to-separate record of duty status, daily vehicle inspection report, and driver's personal expenses. Furthermore, a need exists for such an apparatus having space for advertising so that the recording system can be distributed free of charge to the professional driver. The instant invention is directed to all of these needs as well as to others as explained in the following summary.